


Towards a Found Farewell

by hopeandjoy



Series: Natsume Week 2017 [1]
Category: Natsume Yuujinchou | Natsume's Book of Friends
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Families of Choice, Gen, May 15th: Greetings/Goodbyes, Natsume Week 2017, Past Child Abuse, Pre-Canon, early days in the fujiwara house
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-15
Updated: 2017-05-15
Packaged: 2018-10-31 23:43:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10909875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hopeandjoy/pseuds/hopeandjoy
Summary: "Everyone, human and youkai alike, starts off liking him but in the end they all grow to hate him instead. Every kind greeting becomes a bitter goodbye in Natsume’s life."Natsume's waiting for the other shoe to drop, no matter how nice things are now.





	Towards a Found Farewell

“Takashi-kun!” Touko says as Natsume enters the kitchen. “Good morning!” The table is spread out with every aspect of a traditional Japanese breakfast and Natsume knows from experience that every bit of it is delicious. Shigeru is already seated at the table reading the newspaper while Touko herself is busy scooping rice from the rice cooker into three bowls.

“Good morning, Touko-san, Shigeru-san,” Natsume says as he seats himself at the table. The truth is, he’s not used to this type of routine, of eating breakfast every morning in the company of his guardians, but the Fujiwaras had insisted and Natsume has complied. That didn’t make him feel any less awkward making pleasant small talk, however. This morning is no different from the others. Natsume fields questions about school and the two boys who are the closest things he has ever had to friends and Natsume himself politely asks Shigeru how work was going and what Touko is doing today and if he could be of any assistance.

The meal ends as it normally would as well, with Natsume gathering everyone’s dishes to place them in the sink and Touko reminding Shigeru and Natsume not to forget their lunches.

It was, Natsume thought as he walked to school that morning, completely ordinary, and therein lay the problem. “Ordinary” never lasted forever. Not when Natsume himself was so unusual. This peace had only lasted as long as it had because when the youkai Natsume saw in town noticed him staring they would whisper among themselves and then flee. But Natsume knew that this couldn’t last; when he caught snippets of the youkai’s conversation, they said things like “The rumors are true!” and “So she has returned!” “It really is Natsume Reiko!” over and over.

“Quick, before she decides to fight us too!”

This town’s youkai seem to know him, even if they call him by the wrong name, and furthermore as someone powerful. It is only a matter of time, Natsume knows, before something powerful decides to challenge him and then it’ll begin again.

He’ll come home covered in dirt and wounds or things will go missing in the house; he’ll suddenly start flailing at nothing in the middle of school to others while he tries to escape being strangled by a youkai or he won’t be able to return to the Fujiwaras’ house because of a youkai chasing him; rooms will be destroyed or people hurt.

And just like everyone before them, Touko and Shigeru will talk to each other when they think Natsume cannot hear and grow cold before he’s sent to another house, again. (And again, and, again, and again, and again, until he’s 18 and expected to be able to support himself and he won’t be able to keep a job and then-)

He doesn’t like to think about then. He doesn’t want to suffer the same fate as his grandmother, abandoned by everyone and dying young. But what else is there for him? No matter where he goes, there are youkai. Everyone, human and youkai alike, starts off liking him but in the end they all grow to hate him instead. Every kind greeting becomes a bitter goodbye in Natsume’s life.

Even the Fujiwaras will grow to hate him. It doesn’t matter that they are the first who asked him to live with them, who reached out and asked Natsume what he wanted. This cycle is all Natsume has ever known, and he doesn’t expect it to end.

***

The tentative truce between Natsume and the local youkai ends shortly after that day where Natsume considers his fate. It ends with the first youkai who yells “Natsume Reiko! Give me back my name!” and begins attacking Natsume on his walk home until he can finally hide and lose it for the time being. He doesn’t spend time wondering how the youkai in the area know his grandmother’s name, why they think he’s her, nor what they mean when they demand that he return their names. Natsume mostly just thinks to himself _I’d better learn where the shrines in the area are_ and continues his walk away from school when he’s sure the coast is clear.

He’s late, and his uniform is covered in grass stains from when he slid down a hill and was almost caught. Natsume is sure that he has some scratches, but really he’s glad that he hasn’t torn his uniform at least. He hopes that Touko will be busy when he gets home so that he can run upstairs to change and start treating his clothes before Touko can notice.

Natsume has no such luck, as soon as he calls out his “I’m home”s, Touko appears in the hallway.

“Takashi-kun!” she gasps. “What happened?”

Natsume smiles a placating smile and with practiced ease says, “I tripped and fell down a hill on my way home.”

“Oh no!” Touko says, placing a hand to her cheek. “Go upstairs and wait for me, Takashi-kun. I’ll get the first aid kit and take care of those scrapes before I take care of your uniform.”

A sick feeling starts in Natsume’s stomach and over comes his whole body. “Don’t worry, Touko-san,” he says. “I’ll take care of it. You don’t need to be bothered.”

“Takashi-kun,” Touko says, a touch of sadness coloring her voice. “You’ll never be a bother if you need my help.”

Natsume wants to believe her. He really, really does.

***

The day he meets Nyanko-sensei is also the day that Natsume is sure will be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Not only will he get home after dark and clearly exhausted, but he will also be asking his guardians if he may have a pet, if he could add another mouth to feed to the house. Nyanko-sensei seems to think that this is the best choice.

“My true form is too large to navigate human houses and this form can be seen by normal humans. You were the one who said that a bodyguard should be close at hand, Natsume,” Nyanko-sensei had said.

And it was true, the obvious and logical cover would be that Nyanko-sensei was a pet. Despite this form being a statue, Nyanko-sensei looked like any other fat, ugly cat and felt as heavy and fuzzy as any other fat, ugly cat.

“I found him abandoned at a shrine,” Natsume blurts out as soon as Touko sees him, a half-truth. “He didn’t seem to have anyone and everyone was ignoring him and I felt bad so-“ Natsume tightens his grip on Nyanko-sensei who grunts in response. “So I wanted to take him in. He seemed lonely.”

“So _that’s_ why you came so late!” Touko says. “You’re a good boy, Takashi-kun.”

Natsume doesn’t really feel like such a good boy, lying to his foster parents and bringing a youkai into the house, but at this time Shigeru walks into the entranceway as well.

“It seems this cat has a collar,” Shigeru says. “You need to make sure that its owner isn’t looking for it first.”

“I’ll put up flyers tomorrow, I promise,” Natsume says. His heart is pounding. The Fujiwaras are not frowning, they haven’t refused him yet, but even he knows that a pet is a step too far. They’ve already picked up one stray, after all.

“Well,” Shigeru finally says, stroking his chin. “Unless its owner contacts us after that, I suppose we can take it in. This house is too small for three, after all.”

Touko’s face brightens in a smile. “Tomorrow’s a Saturday, isn’t it Takashi-kun? After we put up the flyers, let’s get supplies together! Let’s see, we’ll need bowls, food, litter, a litter box, a scratching post – or maybe one of those cat condos? Oh, but that might be hard to bring home with just you and me, Takashi-kun. What type of toys do you think the cat likes?”

“T-touko-san!” Natsume says, flustered. “I don’t think Nyanko-sensei needs all that.” But even then, Natsume can feel a smile pull on his face as his heart and stomach calm down.

“We also need to contact a vet,” Shigeru says and Natsume’s stomach sinks again. He’s… He’s going to have to figure a way out of that later. (Are youkai cats even the same as actual cats on the inside? Natsume’s not eager to find out.)

***

Years later, Natsume asks his foster parents why they agreed to take in Nyanko-sensei, something that would be an unreasonable request even from one’s biological child. Touko and Shigeru smiled while Nyanko-sensei was too busy stuffing his face with shrimp to even side eye Natsume.

“We were just so happy that you wanted something of your own, Takashi-kun. There was no way we could have refused you,” Touko says.

“Well that,” adds Shigeru. “And Touko-san always wanted a pet cat.” Touko blushes, Shigeru and Natsume laugh, and Natsume knows, just as he has for a few years now, that this time there won’t be a goodbye for a long, long time.

**Author's Note:**

> i've considered sensei being forced to go to a vet many times. you should too. maybe i'll write it someday.


End file.
